NameCensus.

UK surname

Rushford

An English habitational surname derived from a location in Suffolk, England.

In the 1881 census there were 72 people recorded with the Rushford surname, ranking it #23,371 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 200, ranked #19,591, up from #23,371 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to New Monkland, Bothwell and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Garthamlock, Auchinlea and Gartloch, Oakley Comrie and Blairhall and Windygates and Coaltown.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rushford is 227 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 177.8%.

1881 census count

72

Ranked #23,371

Modern count

200

2016, ranked #19,591

Peak year

1998

227 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rushford had 72 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,371 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 200 in 2016, ranked #19,591.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 141 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Routine Occupations or Retirement.

Rushford surname distribution map

The map shows where the Rushford surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Rushford surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rushford over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 44 #25,328
1861 historical 73 #24,492
1881 historical 72 #23,371
1891 historical 129 #20,285
1901 historical 141 #18,718
1911 historical 120 #20,447
1997 modern 219 #16,666
1998 modern 227 #16,754
1999 modern 223 #17,025
2000 modern 215 #17,388
2001 modern 199 #17,996
2002 modern 199 #18,350
2003 modern 184 #19,075
2004 modern 189 #18,855
2005 modern 197 #18,339
2006 modern 201 #18,226
2007 modern 194 #18,855
2008 modern 202 #18,528
2009 modern 199 #19,090
2010 modern 214 #18,601
2011 modern 210 #18,677
2012 modern 202 #19,084
2013 modern 199 #19,584
2014 modern 210 #19,064
2015 modern 205 #19,269
2016 modern 200 #19,591

Geography

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Where Rushfords are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around New Monkland, Bothwell, London parishes, Auckland St Andrew and Brancepeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Garthamlock, Auchinlea and Gartloch, Oakley Comrie and Blairhall, Windygates and Coaltown, Keppochhill and Newcastle upon Tyne. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 New Monkland Lanark
2 Bothwell Lanark
3 London parishes London 3
4 Auckland St Andrew Durham
5 Brancepeth Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Garthamlock, Auchinlea and Gartloch Glasgow City
2 Oakley Comrie and Blairhall Fife
3 Windygates and Coaltown Fife
4 Keppochhill Glasgow City
5 Newcastle upon Tyne 026 Newcastle upon Tyne

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rushford

These lists show first names that appear often with the Rushford surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rushford

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Rushford, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Legacy Communities

Group

Routine Occupations or Retirement

Nationally, the Rushford surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Routine Occupations or Retirement, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Rushford household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods are characterised by high proportions of single, often never-married adults of normal retirement age or older, including many that are in the most advanced age groups. Most adults are UK born and live at high residential densities, and many of the children living with parents are in adulthood. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are uncommon, but above average proportions of households include individuals that identify with different ethnic groups. Long-term disability is relatively common, and the dominant accommodation type is flats. Unemployment rates are high, with most of those employed working in routine occupations. Few individuals have high level qualifications. Car ownership is not high.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Rushford is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Rushford is most concentrated in decile 4 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Rushford falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Rushford is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Rushford, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Rushford

The surname Rushford is of English origin, originating from the village of Rushford in Norfolk, England. The name is derived from the Old English words "rysc" meaning "rush" and "ford" meaning "a shallow place where a river can be crossed." This suggests that the name likely referred to a ford or crossing point where rushes grew abundantly.

The earliest recorded instance of the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Risceford." This entry suggests that the name was already established in the region by the late 11th century.

During the medieval period, the name appears in various records with slight variations in spelling, such as "Rushforde," "Russhford," and "Rusford." These variations reflect the inconsistencies in spelling and record-keeping practices of the time.

One notable bearer of the Rushford name was John Rushford, a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Norwich in the late 15th century. He was involved in the wool trade and served as the city's mayor in 1487.

Another historical figure with this surname was William Rushford, a Puritan clergyman who lived in the 17th century. He was a prominent figure in the English Reformation and served as a minister in several parishes in Essex and Suffolk.

In the 18th century, a family of Rushfords settled in the American colonies, with records indicating their presence in Virginia and Pennsylvania. One member of this family, Samuel Rushford (1722-1795), was a farmer and landowner in Pennsylvania.

A more recent historical bearer of the name was Sir Alfred Rushford (1856-1932), a British businessman and philanthropist. He made his fortune in the textile industry and was known for his charitable contributions to various educational and medical institutions.

Another noteworthy individual with the Rushford surname was Margaret Rushford (1908-1998), an Australian writer and poet. Her works often explored themes of nature, and she was recognized for her contribution to Australian literature.

While the Rushford name may have originated from a specific location in Norfolk, it eventually spread to other parts of England and beyond, with bearers of this surname contributing to various fields throughout history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Rushford families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rushford surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Durham leads with 18 Rushfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.12x.

County Total Index
Durham 18 9.12x
Lanarkshire 16 7.46x
West Lothian 9 90.09x
Middlesex 8 1.21x
Stirlingshire 5 20.44x
Cheshire 3 2.05x
Surrey 3 0.93x
Yorkshire 2 0.30x
Dumfriesshire 1 6.83x
Kent 1 0.44x
Lancashire 1 0.13x
Suffolk 1 1.24x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Carnwath in Lanarkshire leads with 8 Rushfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 601.50x.

Place Total Index
Carnwath 8 601.50x
New Monkland 7 110.41x
Brandon Byshottles 6 242.92x
Ealing 6 101.18x
Evenwood Barony 6 895.52x
Boness 5 362.32x
Slamannan 5 373.13x
Bishopwearmouth 4 23.63x
Bathgate 3 138.25x
Knutsford Nether 3 340.91x
Lambeth 3 5.19x
Barony 1 1.84x
Brightside Bierlow 1 7.76x
Canterbury St Mildred 1 185.19x
Heston 1 45.45x
Holy Trinity 1 6.33x
Ipswich St Mary At Elms 1 384.62x
Langholm 1 95.24x
Seaham 1 138.89x
Stockton On Tees 1 10.52x
Ulverston 1 43.67x
Westminster St James 1 14.66x
Whitburn 1 69.44x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Rushford surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 5
Elizabeth 2
Jane 2
Sarah 2
Eliza 1
Minnie 1
Rosa 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Rushford surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
James 3
William 3
Alfred 2
George 2
Joseph 2
Abraham 1
Banks 1
Ernest 1
John 1
Jos. 1
Marshall 1
Richd. 1
Thomas 1
Walter 1
Wm.W. 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Rushford households.

FAQ

Rushford surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rushford surname in 1881?

In 1881, 72 people were recorded with the Rushford surname. That placed it at #23,371 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rushford surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 200 in 2016. That gives Rushford a modern rank of #19,591.

What does the Rushford surname mean?

An English habitational surname derived from a location in Suffolk, England.

What does the Rushford map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Rushford bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.